SECRETARY POWELL: It has been my great pleasure to receive the President of Latvia today. We had excellent discussions on Latvia's aspirations toward membership in the European Union and NATO. We had a very moving discussion on the history of Latvia under Soviet occupation in the old days. I expressed to the President our best wishes for continued economic success and continued success toward their aspirations with respect to the European Union. I told her that Russia will never be given a veto over who is or is not part of NATO, and we will examine each country in accordance with the conditions and standards put forth. The President gave me quite a good indication of how well they are doing toward meeting those conditions and standards.
Great pleasure to have you, Madame President. Would you like to say a word?
PRESIDENT VIKE-FREIBERGA: We had a very productive meeting with the Secretary. I feel that we can count on the United States to continue its leadership role in the world and its leadership role in the transatlantic alliance. Europe has been a stable and prosperous developing continent which has now received back into its fold all those countries that had been kept behind the Iron Curtain. These new democracies, of which Latvia is one, are joining the European Union. They are joining that part of Europe that has been progressing over the last decades. They want to catch up to the rest of the world.
And of course we are interested in the sort of peace and stability that NATO has been able to assure to the European continent. We very much would like to be under the security umbrella of NATO. We feel that we can contribute our part to international security missions. We can contribute our part to peace and stability in a new Europe, whole and free. And we are certainly working very hard both in completing our accession to the European Union, and we're working doubly hard to be ready, according to all the criteria, for NATO candidate status.
SECRETARY POWELL: Thank you.
QUESTION: Secretary Powell, did you say the same thing to President Gorbachev about Russia not having a veto? Did you mention that to him?
SECRETARY POWELL: We didn't get into this. The Russians know my views, however. Thanks.
QUESTION: Is there anything new about Peru or Taiwan?
SECRETARY POWELL: I really don't have anything beyond what Richard told you in his briefing. I've been doing other things in the afternoon.